Author: Kyle Schafer
Jackie Robinson: Civil Rights Leader
Final Draft of Thesis - Section 8
Conclusion
Jackie Robinson saw an American society that needed to overcome racism. He knew that it was the right thing to do. He did not do it because he was given the power and influence. He believed in equality his entire life. He was not the NL MVP or Rookie of the Year, in 1944, when he refused to sit at the back of the Army bus. He had the strength and character to challenge society, even before he was famous. Jackie earned his fame and influence. Nearly every article where he speaks out, after his retirement, is prefaced with some variation of, "Jackie Robinson, former New York Dodgers baseball star...". His example on the diamond, which was mostly squeaky-clean, enabled him to set the stage for nonviolent protest. Meanwhile, his playing ability garnered him much success and popularity, which translated into influence in the political arena. His style of play-that is the Negro League style of play-changed the face of baseball, which was emblematic of his post-retirement efforts in civil rights.
Moreover, he used his influence to help lead the Civil Rights Movement and improve race relations. He could have retired and faded into obscurity, becoming a piece of baseball trivia that gets brought up every now and again. But he took advantage of the gift given to him, after retirement, of sustainability in the press, and tried to make a difference. He helped lead the Movement toward more productive means, and tried to steer it away from the polarizing extremists. He saw his time in history, and decided to seize the day.
Jackie Robinson was very politically active. While his support for candidates seemed to fluctuate from a Republican primary candidate, to a Democratic candidate in the general election, and then to some other candidate, four years later. While he seemed to prefer to stay within the confines of the Republican Party, as when he was the chairman of the Republicans for Johnson campaign, in 1964, his main political motivation always seemed to be advocating civil rights. He liked republicans until he saw a Democrat who had stronger civil rights policies, and then he became a Republican who supported a Democrat. And, when he felt he had been wrong and misjudged a candidate's policies, he would admit his mistakes, as in the letters to President Kennedy. It is very likely he supported Republican economic and foreign policy stances, but kept civil rights as his overriding factor.
In his later years, Jackie looked old. He had gray hair, and was wrinkly. He contracted diabetes, developed heart problems, and nearly lost all of his sight. Many people have their physical faculties give way in their later years. A quarter century after he broke the color line in Major League Baseball, Jack Roosevelt Robinson Passed away, in 1972, at the age of 53. Many believe it was the tremendous pressure and the heavy burden placed on his head of having to compete in Major League Baseball and fighting to keep his job by getting hits, runs, and stolen bases, all while trying to keep his cool and not snap when fans, players, and managers all called him awful names, held up horrible signs, and even threatened to kill him. When he died, he looked like he was in his 70s. The pressure very well could have aged him 20 years.
But, was it all worth it? Not a soul alive would tell you that it wasn't. He accomplished some things that other men can only dream of. Only a handful of men have won league MVP awards, the Rookie of the Year award, the World Series, stolen home plate, and all of the other amazing feats that he was able to accomplish in the top level of competition in baseball. Add to that the fact that he broke the color line of the sport. But, he wasn't done there. He took his influence and helped spur the Civil Rights Movement. At Fort Hood, in 1944, he was Rosa Parks, 11 years before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the Montgomery bus. He wrote presidents, spoke out on civil rights, marched in marches, and did many of the same things that people like Martin Luther King, Jr. did. He was a great American and a great civil rights leader. And his legacy has spoken volumes, will speak volumes, and will live forever, woven into the complex American tapestry.
Works Cited
"300 March on Airport to Protest S. C. Bias". The Chicago Defender, January 5, 1960, A5.
Bloom, John and Willard, Michael Nevin, Eds. Sports Matters: Race, Recreation, and Culture. New York University Press: New York, 2002.
"Extremists Aid Segregationists, Says Robinson". The Chicago Defender, August 29, 1967, 5.
Fussman, Cal. After Jackie: Pride Prejudice, and Baseball's Forgotten Heroes. New York: ESPN Books, 2007.
"Jackie Robinson Joins Nixon Campaign Drive". The New York Times, September 3, 1960, 37.
"Jackie Robinson Pitching; Before House Un-American Activities Committee". Newsweek, August 1, 1949.
"Jackie Robinson Raps Kennedy". The Chicago Defender, April 9, 1960, 1.
Jenkins, Lee D. "Jackie Robinson Blasts Civil Rights Patience Talk". The Chicago
Murphy, John F. "Jackie Robinson Quits His Job to Aid Rockefeller Campaign". The New York Times, February 1, 1964, 8.
"NAACP Has 'Lost Touch' With Negro: Robinson". The Chicago Defender. October 30, 1967, 5.
"Negroes to Back JFK in '64--if...: Jackie". The Chicago Defender, October 23, 1963, A8.
Picou, Tommy. "The Jackie Robinson Saga". The Chicago Defender, January 29, 1962, 1-2 19.
"Robinson in Incident". The New York Times, October 26, 1959, 34.
Robinson, Jackie. Baseball Has Done It. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1964.
Robinson, Jackie. "Letter to Fred Morrow". August 12, 1957.
Robinson, Jackie. "Letter to Dwight. D. Eisenhower". May 13, 1958.
Robinson, Jackie. "Letter to John F. Kennedy". February 9, 1961.
Robinson, Jackie. "Letter to John F. Kennedy". May 25, 1961.
Robinson, Jackie. "Letter to John F. Kennedy". June 14, 1963
Robinson, Jackie. "Letter to Lyndon B. Johnson". April 18, 1967.
"Robinson Says Nixon is Better for Negro". The New York Times, September 5, 1960, 13.
Tygiel, Jules. Baseball's Great Experiment: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy. Oxford University Press: New York, 1983.
Tygiel, Jules. The Jackie Robinson Reader: Perspectives on an American Hero. Ed. Penguin Books: New York, 1997.
Vescey, George. Baseball: A History of America's Favorite Game. Modern Library: New York, 2006.
Jackie Robinson: Civil Rights Leader - Index
- Jackie Robinson: Civil Rights Leader
- Jackie Robinson - Historiography
- Jackie Robinson - The Back Story
- Jackie Robinson - Black Ballplayers and Branch Rickey
- Jackie Robinson - Becoming Political
- Jackie Robinson - Post-retirement
- Jackie Robinson - Support of and Backlash Against the Movement
- Jackie Robinson - Conclusion
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